"Only four bottles will go on auction with 100 percent
of the proceeds going to the Russian LGBT Network in support of Chechen gay
rights – this is an IPA that makes an impact," a Mikkeller representative
wrote on Facebook, according to the Copenhagen Post.

"Stay gay (and thirsty)!" the post ended.

The IPA was created in collaboration with Chinese
microbrewery Great Leap Brewing.

The brew has generated approval on the brewery's Facebook
page, but some naysayers registered their complaints.

"Hi Mikkeller HQ you're probably brewing the best beers
in the world but you should just brew beer and not do politics. Thanks,"
wrote Gus Berthollier in a June 16 post.

Pride month has rung in firsts for LGBT officials in
Ireland, Serbia, and Nepal.

Ireland

In Ireland, Leo Varadkar formally became the country's prime
minister after a 57-50 vote June 14 in the Irish Parliament.

The opposition Fianna Fail party, led by Michael Martin,
abstained its 47 votes to allow Varadkar to take over as Taoiseach, or prime
minister, according to media reports.

Varadkar, 38, and leader of the Fine Gael party, is the
Emerald Isle's first gay and youngest person to serve in the high-ranking
position.

Former Prime Minister Enda Kenny told parliament before the
vote, "As the country's youngest holder of this office, he speaks for a
new generation of Irish women and Irish men, he represents a modern, diverse
and inclusive Ireland and speaks for them like no other."

Varadkar succeeded Kenny, who retired.

In his acceptance speech, Varadkar harnessed youthful energy
and vision for Ireland, arguing that the politics of the past were no longer
fit for the nation's purpose.

"The government that I lead will not be one of left or
right because those old divisions do not comprehend the political challenges of
today," he said, according to media reports.

Pulse, an Irish publication, reported that Varadkar is
regarded as relatively liberal on social issues, but criticized by opposition
parties for his "right-wing economic views."

The new prime minister is the son of an Indian-born father
and Irish mother. He was born in Dublin in 1979. In 2015, he came out publicly
in the run-up to the public vote to legalize same-sex marriage throughout
Ireland.

Before becoming prime minister, Varadkar was appointed or
elected to many government positions. He initially followed in his father's
footsteps becoming a doctor, however, he returned to his original interest in
politics that he took up as a teenager. He was elected as councilor in 2004. He
later was appointed to minister for transport, tourism and sport; health
minister; and minister of welfare. In 2007, he was elected to the Irish
Parliament, representing West Dublin.

Serbia

Last week, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic nominated
political newcomer Ana Brnabic, a gay woman, as the country's prime
minister-designate to lead the conservative southeast European nation.

Ultimately, it's a watershed moment for the conservative
Balkans as Brnabic, 41, could become the country's first out and first female
prime minister in Serbia's history, according to media reports.

Next week parliament, which is led by Vucic's populist
Progressive Party, will meet to formally approve or decline Brnabic's cabinet.

Brnabic, who has spent less than a year in Serbian politics,
isn't affiliated with any political party, but appears to be loyal to Vucic.

Last August, Brnabic was appointed as minister of public
administration and local government, reported the Telegraph. Prior to taking
the government position, she spent a decade working for international
organizations, foreign investors, local governments, and the public sector in
Serbia, reported First Post.

"I would like to thank the president for placing
enormous trust in my capabilities to lead the government," said Brnabic,
who has sought to slash Serbia's stifling bureaucracy as minister for public
administration, reported the Irish Times.

She vowed to work "honestly and with passion" for
"citizens who expect to feel the results of the government's work through
better quality of life," she added.

Brnabic doesn't believe that her sexual orientation is of
any importance and won't interfere with her work, she told RTV.

"I don't like when being gay is used as an indicator of
personality. Why is that important?" she said.

However, the decision to nominate Brnabic was difficult but
"reached in the interest of Serbia and its citizens," Vucic told
reporters.

A former extremist-turned-reformist, Vucic, who won the
presidency in a landslide election in April, has promised to boost LGBT rights
as a part of efforts to move Serbia closer to European Union membership,
reported ABC News.

"I believe Ana Brnabic has all the personal qualities
and expertise," Vucic told the media, according to the Times. "I am
confident she will work hard, show respect to political parties and work for
the benefit of Serbia with other ministers."

The move has infuriated conservative factions, the Christian
Orthodox Church, and ultranationalists who are pro-Russia, according to media
reports.

"Is it possible that the ruling majority has no other
candidate for the prime minister-designate but one imposed by the West, which
dictates all moves by this government?" the opposition Dveri party asked,
reported the Times.

Dragan Markovic Palma, an outspoken nationalist whose small
party is a member of the ruling coalition, declared, "Ana Brnabic is not
my prime minister."

His ideal Serbian prime minister is someone who "should
be a family man who knows what children are," the paper reported.

In Sputnik, a Russian media outlet, far-right conservative
Vojislav Seselj blamed the West for placing strong pressure on Vucic to select
Brnabic.

Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Brnabic, who is fluent in English
and Russian, completed her undergraduate studies at Northwood University in the
United States and received her MBA in marketing from Hull University in the
United Kingdom in 2001. She returned to Serbia, working in the wind power
industry and on multiple development projects funded by the United States
Agency for International Development, according to media reports.

Brnabic has won multiple awards recognizing her
accomplishments in business.

Currently, Brnabic is a board member of PEXIM Foundation, a
scholarship organization for Serbian and Macedonian students identified as
talent to help accelerate development in economic and social spheres, according
to media reports.

Nepal

Nepal has its first out transgender candidate, Aanik Rana
Magar, running for local office.

Magar, who identifies as third gender, filed her nomination
to run for ward eight of the Tilotama Municipality in Western Nepal as the Naya
Shakti Nepal Party candidate in the second phase local election, reported
Pahichan.

Nepal legally recognized the third gender in 2015.

The Naya Shakti Nepal Party was created by former Prime
Minister Baburam Bhattarai to encourage and give a vehicle for political
leaders to be publicly elected rather than by members of parliament, reported
Pink News.

Magar, a social worker and LGBT activist, perceives her bid
for office as a victory, whether or not she wins her seat. She said that her
campaign would bring visibility to gender and sexual minority communities in
Nepal.

"In the elections, victory or defeat is a normal
process, but I think my candidacy itself is a victory for me," she said, noting
that her candidacy would "provide a further boost for the members of the
community" and "contribute" to bring changes for the LGBT
community, reported Pahichan.

Nepal recently passed a new constitution, which included
protections against discrimination of LGBT people. The constitution was hailed
by the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign as a "historic first
for a nation in Asia," reported Pink News.